Touring Blue Hill Peninsula

We are very close to being as far east in the USA as possible. We are close to Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park which is the first place to view the sunrise in the USA from October 7 through March 6. That means daylight comes early - the first light today was at 5:18AM. We were both awake at 5:27AM! We usually sleep until somewhere between 6:30 and 7:30. With all of the light this morning, there was a lot of fog so we took our time and left mid-morning to go sightseeing around the Blue Hill Peninsula.

We had a great day - it was sunny and warm with temperatures in the high 70s. The scenery was gorgeous. Here's a few photos around Blue Hill Peninsula - most were taken at low tide or just as the tide was starting to come back in.

Pumpkin Island Light Station off of Little Deer Isle

Low tide

Buoys on the outside deck of a restaurant in Stonington

This boat was stranded as were many until the tide came back in.

We went in search of the Brooksville Farmer's Market. It was very much like a wild goose chase! After mentioning that they were a little hard for us to fine, one of the vendors had me read an essay in a book of area stories. It described our trip perfectly! I think you need to be a local - even our GPS has major problems here.

At the market, we found a wood turner with wooden spoons, a glass blower with jewelry, a fiber artist with woven earrings, a cook with salads and dips, a couple of bread bakers, a guy who had rugs, bags, and baskets made from used marine rope, a lady with herbs and rhubarb, a lady with eggs and sausage, a couple with felted soap and aprons, a fellow with infused oils and vinegars. It was a small, fun market and everyone wanted to visit so we were there a while. Oh did I mention there were a couple of bakers and one had blueberry hand pies!!! I love blueberries.

Farmer's Market in Buck's Harbor, Brooksville

We tried to find a park to have a picnic lunch. A lady told us there are no parks in Stonington but we could go to the beach. It's not marked; it's a local place. She gave us great directions. You park just off of the road and follow a short trail. There were just three other small groups there. The temperature there was about 65 degrees and it was gorgeous.

Lunch on a large flat rock at the beach

Dessert - delicious blueberry hand pies

We got home in the late afternoon. Ray spent some time on the deck photographing humming birds. I took a nap since I didn't get back to sleep this morning.

After dinner, we walked down the road and this is what we saw.

We met our neighbor Alan, the executive director of the Surry Arts Barn. It is pretty incredible on the inside. We had a tour. We were also invited to a classical music concert tomorrow night featuring the Dapont String Quartet. We know Alan is a fantastic musician; we enjoy hearing him play in the evening when our windows are open.

Surry Arts Barn

These last two building are on our land. They each have beds, heat, and electricity.

Tomorrow we are headed to Acadia National Park. It should be a little cooler and sunny. We're hoping to eat popovers since people keep telling us how good they are.

A Day of Remembrance

Memorial Day 

May we always remember those that gave there all
and those that have sacrificed so much

We got up to a light rain and we traveled in a light rain until we stopped for lunch. There were still Memorial Day Parades happening and we saw a few small Memorial Day Services. Our weather was cloudy until late afternoon when the sun appeared. 

The drive from Bath up the coast on Highway 1 is a beautiful drive - probably even more so when it isn't raining!

Rockland, ME

This area of Maine is like where we stayed in Vermont - no billboards, just small signs telling you what is nearby. There's  usually 1, 2, or 3 little signs on a pole. Pardon the water spots on the  windshield.

Another interesting item - there are Dunkin' Donuts everywhere in New Hampshire and Maine. You can get donuts at many gas stations and also at Dunkin' Donut Shops. For the record, we haven't had one yet!

It was raining so we stopped for lunch at the Riverside Cafe in Ellsworth, Maine, instead of picnicking.

They had homemade blueberry pie! Did I ever mention that I love blueberries? The pie was awesome - it was warm and oh soooo good! I had to taste it before I took a photo. Oh yeah, lunch was really good, too.

Our new rental outside of Surry, Maine, is quite nice. We are in a rural area and have this view from out deck. That is Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. At 1530 feet, it is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard. 

We took a drive tonight and stopped at a beach. Here are a few photos - I'm not sure where we were at but I do know we weren't very far from our current home.

The next couple of days are supposed to be sunny. One day we will be at Acadia National Park and the other day will be another adventure. Time will tell...

In Bath, Maine, we stayed at the Historic 1800's Apt. The apartment was clean, comfortable, quiet, and had everything we needed. The kitchen and bathroom were very small but it all worked out fine. We could walk to the bridge and to downtown. The owner was very responsive and easy to work with. We would definitely go back to this rental - we give it 5 stars!

Bath Time*

The deep forest shelters the spirit and nurtures the soul.

Yesterday I bought a pendant that was made in Maine. The name is Deep Forest and the card had the above message. The artist name is not given so I can't give credit but I like the message.

The weather cooled off during the night. It was refreshingly cool this morning. We decided to hike. 

About mid-morning we headed to the Whiskeag Trail. We did turn the right way at the corner this time! But we had a little trouble finding the trail. We found it going one way but the direction we wanted was difficult to locate. We did find it eventually but it evidently is not well used - no path and no markings. 

So we drove to the Thorne Head Preserve and hiked/walked the Overlook Trail. It was a very nice walk in the woods.

At the overlook, we found a cute mushroom table.

The view from the overlook was partially blocked by trees.

On the way back, we retraced our steps and spent a little time at the swampy pond area. The frogs were very talkative!

The clouds moved in about lunch time but we didn't get any rain. After lunch we went to the Maine Maritime Museum. It is located on the grounds where the Percy & Small boat builders were once located. Many of the original buildings remain.

The Wyoming, the largest wooden schooner in the world, was built there in 1909.

On the campus there is a sculpture at the location where the Wyoming was built and launched. It shows the hull and stern and the 6 flags represent the 6 masts. It is made to scale and it is HUGE!

This is the oldest surviving figurehead from a Maine vessel. It was hand carved from wood in Bath around 1824.

We were looking at some scrimshaw and saw this swift, an unusual and rare scrimshaw piece. A swift expands to hold yarn while it is wound. 

 This display of buoys was so colorful.

As we walked out of one building, there was the Lobstermobile!

Now we are relaxing. Tomorrow will be a short travel day. We hope to do lots of sightseeing as we head north. Rain is forecast so it might be a wet drive but we are prepared. We always have rain gear with us... 

* Ray supplied the name for this post!